Ark Chess Player.

"Cheer up!"

Chapter 357 Chen and the Infected Girl (4K)

The black sedan drove smoothly along the official road of Longmen.

Soft music was playing inside the car, and a clear, pleasant, and lovely female voice could be heard.

Exia seemed to have entered energy-saving mode, sitting quietly in the passenger seat with her eyes closed, resting.

Texas sat in the driver's seat, hands on the steering wheel, fingers rising and falling in sync with the music, its tail swaying rhythmically from side to side. This caused Lin Lu, sitting in the back seat, to sway along with Texas, his gaze following its every movement.

Shocking! I have a beastman enthusiast right next to me!

Amiya, sitting in the back row, wasn't paying attention to Lin Lu at the moment; otherwise, she would have been very envious of the Lupo tribe's fluffy tails. As a member of the Cartes tribe, her tail wasn't actually short, but due to her racial characteristics, it would curl into a small ball of fur, and pulling it even slightly would cause her to cry from the pain. Usually, it was hidden by her skirt and loose coat.

Amiya leaned against the window, watching the fine rain falling outside the car. This rain was caused by the chimera she released yesterday when she transformed into an Ark Knight and projected another version of herself through the Driver.

Amiya is different from the Doctor. If the Doctor's stunning sword strike in Chernobog cleared the sky and Terra's air quality index reached its purest level in recent years, then Amiya's performance was remarkable.

The thunder unleashed by Amiya plunged the earth into darkness, as if the end of the world had arrived. Rain, highly radioactive from Originium, fell on the desert, soon condensing into new Originium, resulting in the highest air pollution index in recent years.

It's like part of the natural cycle; whatever is taken away will be harvested.

Amiya clenched her small hands. She remembered the feeling she had when her power erupted—an unparalleled joy. To be able to destroy and annihilate anything, to completely unleash the malice within her—she shook her head. She couldn't think like that; she couldn't let the weight of history change her mind. She had promised someone that she would never use this power for evil.

"...Longmen".

Because of the rain, the neon lights that lit up early in Longmen illuminated the highway clearly. Occasionally, vehicles could be seen moving forward, and the desolate scenery gradually became richer, with distant lights faintly visible, revealing the city's unique charm.

Amiya quietly observed the city; this was the first time she had ever observed Lungmen with such a peaceful mindset. When she first arrived, she was met with a nighttime attack by the Reunion Movement, followed by two days of being in a daze while the Doctor was missing. Yesterday was even worse; the fatigue still lingered, as if she could fall asleep the moment she closed her eyes and rested.

Amiya thought to herself, her eyes unconsciously closing as she quietly relaxed her shoulders.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Amiya, wake up.

"Let me sleep for five more minutes... Dr. Kal'tsit..."

A gentle voice came from beside her ear, and Amiya reluctantly let out a coquettish groan, resting her head on the warm spot. She hadn't had enough sleep since waking up that morning, and yesterday's overwork, using two ultimate techniques simultaneously, had completely drained her mind.

"Okay, five minutes then."

"Thank you, Dr. Kal'tsit..."

Amiya murmured sleepily with her eyes closed, nuzzled her head, and drifted back to sleep comfortably. But she seemed to sense something was amiss; she didn't seem to be in the office, and the sound of rain outside the window sounded closer.

"Dr. Kal'tsit?!"

Amiya suddenly raised her head. Because she was in such a hurry, her blood circulation hadn't caught up, and she felt a little dizzy.

"You think it's Kal'tsit, but it's actually me, Lin Luda."

Lin Lu smiled and gently rubbed Amiya's ears to help relieve her dizziness.

Amiya obediently enjoyed Master Lin's professional massage, revealing a silly smile.

"So cute! Look, look! Texas! I wish you were as cute as Amiya, no, I wish you were half as cute as her!"

"I'm really sorry I look fierce!"

"Ouch! Don't always resort to violence when you can't win an argument! That's so rude."

Amiya vaguely heard Exusiai and Texas playing around. She was stunned for a moment before realizing she was still in the car! This wasn't Rhodes Island's office!!

"Ah... ah ah..."

Amiya let out a embarrassed sound, her pretty face flushing red at a visible speed. She instinctively grabbed the Doctor's hands and covered her face. It turned out she had fallen asleep in the car, her head resting on Lin Lu's lap; no wonder she was sleeping so soundly.

"I'm sorry, you must have found this amusing."

After everyone got off the bus, Amiya said with a flushed face.

“Don’t worry about it, Amiya.” Texas thought for a moment, then chuckled. “A little rest is necessary, isn’t it?”

"Woo..."

Amiya blushed even more as the other person comforted her with her words, which made her feel even more ashamed.

"But wow, things have changed so much here. It's only been a day, hasn't it?" Exusiai exclaimed, looking at the slums not far away. They were currently in the parking lot of a safe house at Penguin Logistics, which was located in the outer ring of Lungmen.

Driving through Texas, the ravaged highways and sheer cliff-like landscapes were breathtaking, revealing even the internal structure of mobile cities. The intertwined power lines and steel walls resembled a steel giant with its arm severed, exposing the mechanical cross-section.

This all happened last night. They were intercepting Reunion Movement reinforcements in the desert area, thus narrowly avoiding heavy firepower. If they had been there, they might not have even had a chance to participate in a battle of this magnitude.

Cars cannot enter the slums directly via official routes and must stop here temporarily, choosing to walk instead.

After all, the slums are currently under strict lockdown, with most passageways closed, for two reasons. First, the defensive infrastructure of Maria's defense network has been extensively damaged by the Bone Raiders, leaving the slums, as a major battle zone, in ruins, with destroyed buildings and roads everywhere. Second, this operation has produced phenomena that have greatly puzzled the Guard Bureau.

The low casualty rate among residents of the slums was baffling. When the Guards saw a large group of people, families in tow, emerging from the sewers, their eyes betrayed their astonishment. Lungmen's sewer system, of course, couldn't be left open arbitrarily; it was the core of this mobile city, akin to the stomach of the human body, crucial for digesting substances absorbed from the outside world.

After questioning the residents, the Guardian Police officers learned that an unregistered organization had conducted evacuation and guidance operations the previous night, minimizing casualties among residents of the slums. Therefore, most of those killed in the battle were new recruits from Lungmen and infected members of the Reunion Movement; Guardian Police officers also tragically lost their lives.

To prevent infected individuals from the Reunion Movement from infiltrating the slum's residents, the Guard Bureau is currently conducting a review and registration process to ensure that the Guard Bureau has access to information on every resident in the slum.

"..."

Amiya stood on tiptoe, barely able to see the inverted steel city at the end of her vision, and couldn't help but turn to look at Lin Lu.

Is this the battlefield where the Doctor was last night? No wonder he was so badly injured...

The Doctor lent me the Ark Driver. What price did the Doctor pay to win this victory without his weapons? Amiya subconsciously took Lin Lu's hand, not caring whether Exusiai and Texas would laugh at her.

Amiya felt she needed to hold Lin Lu's hand tightly now.

Otherwise, the doctor might disappear at any time.

Lin Lu smiled and took Amiya's small hand in return, leading her towards the slums.

Exusiai and Texas wisely slowed down and moved to the back to create an opportunity for Amiya.

Lin Lu noticed the girls' little actions and couldn't help but sigh, "Penguin Logistics is really good."

“Hmm…” Amiya understood the care that Exusiai and Texas had given her. She leaned tightly on the Doctor’s arm and smiled brightly. “I have always been taken care of by everyone. Is this really okay? I haven’t done enough.”

“I believe Amiya’s efforts have successfully changed others, rather than simply receiving favors from them. Amiya must have become a guiding light for someone, showing them the way forward.”

"I...I'm not as...amazing as the professor said! Hehehe~"

Amiya waved her hand shyly, her steps becoming lighter and more cheerful.

Lin Lu held up an umbrella to shield Amiya, and the two strolled along the ground in the continuous drizzle. The surroundings were desolate, but the girl's smile brightened the gray space, like a colorful painting adorning a world of ink wash.

"what……"

The Guard Bureau's temporary outpost in the slums was right in front of them. Amiya remembered that Rhodes Island had terminated its cooperation with the Guard Bureau, and she was worried that they might face obstacles. But Lin Lu patted her hand to reassure her.

If the Guard Bureau dares to stop Amiya, then Lin Lu will go to the Guard Bureau building to play chess with Wei Yanwu. As for what this game will determine, that's not up to Wei Yanwu to decide.

After seeing Lin Lu, the police officer from the Imperial Guard wearing a raincoat observed him openly and, after confirming that it was Lin Lu, raised his hand in salute.

"Good morning, sir," the sentry said obediently.

Amiya: “?”

Are you a member of the Royal Guard, or is the Doctor a member of the Royal Guard?

"Hello."

Lin Lu agreed without any sense of incongruity.

He guessed that this might be something that Alexander Swell, a meticulous and survival-oriented senior superintendent, had instructed his subordinates about beforehand. After all, this was a slum, within Swell's jurisdiction.

"Where in the slums are you heading? Do you need police protection? Please let us know if you have any requests. We will do our best to serve you to the best of our ability."

"No need, we're just going to Erxian Bridge. You should use your police resources for the right purposes."

"Yes! Commander Lin!"

The sentry stood up straight and saluted him sincerely.

"Thank you for saving Lungmen! Our Guard Bureau Fourth Squad has been stationed on the front lines of the war zone, whether in the outer ring of Lungmen District 5 or in the slums. Your fighting spirit has deeply inspired us! Please allow me to express my highest respect to you."

"..."

Lin Lu was somewhat surprised.

This was the first time he guessed wrong.

Lin Lu initially thought the other party was merely following Swell's instructions and expressing respect. However, he was wrong; the young police officer was simply thanking Lin Lu for his efforts for Lungmen.

It's perfectly normal to receive gratitude for helping others, isn't it?

Even elementary school students understand this rule: you should express gratitude after receiving help. Even a simple "thank you" is fine; it's the most basic etiquette and a way to connect with others.

—When did this world begin to make even gratitude a surprising thing?

"Sir?"

The officers in the fourth squad were a little nervous, wondering if they had said something wrong.

"Don't be nervous, I'm just a passerby, I just did what I wanted to do."

Lin Lu handed the umbrella to Amiya, then reached out and patted the officer at the outpost on the shoulder, feeling the cold raindrops on his palm.

In such frigid weather, even wearing a thick raincoat couldn't withstand the biting cold. Despite this, the young police officer remained steadfastly at his post, upholding his beliefs with unwavering enthusiasm.

Lin Lu clenched his fist and slammed it heavily onto the police officer's chest.

"The safety of Lungmen is protected by Lungmen's Guard Bureau."

"Yes...yes, sir!!"

Lin Lu returned to Amiya's side, bearing the hopeful gazes of the sentry officers.

"Doctor, our efforts have not been in vain; everything we have done has been meaningful."

"……yes."

Amiya held Lin Lu's rain-soaked hand, and this time, it was Amiya who warmed him.

Exusiai and Texas exchanged glances, seemingly sensing something, yet also having an indescribable feeling.

It seems that even Penguin Logistics' information network is not omniscient or omnipotent.

The group walked deeper into the slums, and surprisingly, aside from the signs of battle, they saw very few people wandering the streets. Given that most of the surrounding buildings were destroyed, one would expect countless people to be homeless…

"Doctor, is that... Miss Chen?!"

Amiya gently tugged at Lin Lu's hand, and following the direction of her finger, he saw a figure in the distance.

One tall and one short, one large and one small, two figures stood quietly in the rain.

"Sister Dragon, Sister Bear taught me how to do this."

The infected girl, dressed in a rough dress that had been patched countless times, smiled and held out her hands. A pink children's bandage was stuck to her index finger, and a handmade brown teddy bear doll lay in her hands, looking quite cheap.

"Sister Bear told me that this amulet only works if it's handmade. So, this... is for you! I made it myself, it might be a little ugly, but I hope you'll accept it! It can protect you and keep you safe!"

"Such a valuable amulet...can I really accept it?"

"Of course! Sister Long has saved us so many times and has always taken care of us. We know all of this!" The infected girl smiled brightly and pushed the teddy bear towards the other party without saying a word, hoping that the other party would accept it.

"But...I...yesterday, when you needed help the most, I...I wasn't here."

“Sister Long, you’re wrong to think like that.” The infected girl looked serious and said, word by word, “You can’t think you can solve everything by yourself. Even we kids understand this, so why don’t you?”

“…Yes, one person can’t solve everything.” Chen Huijie murmured, a slightly bitter smile on her face, and said self-deprecatingly, “I didn’t expect to be lectured by you, even though you’re still just a little kid.”

"I'm short now, but that doesn't mean I won't grow tall!" The girl stood on tiptoe; she had no shoes and had always walked barefoot. "When I grow taller, I'll find a way to learn so I can help everyone. This time, the rabbit sisters have been protecting us, but I can't always be taken care of. One day, I will protect everyone here. Including you, Dragon Sister."

“…Then I’ll leave it to you.”

Chen Huijie did not disappoint the girl's kindness again; she carefully accepted the teddy bear that the girl handed her.

Upon seeing that the girl had accepted the gift, she danced with joy, skipping and waving to Chen Huijie: "Sister Long, I'm going back now. Abao and the others are still waiting for me. Don't work too hard! Remember to eat well!"

"Goodbye."

Chen Huijie waved gently, watching the girl's departing figure.

She stood there, letting the rain soak her body. Her already pale face, lacking pigmentation, looked even paler now.

"Longmen..."

Chen Huijie slowly clenched her fist, and in her palm, the teddy bear gradually became soaked with rainwater.